By Monterey Bud

 

Cashing in his political chips on his way out of the DOJ’s door, Eric Holder sparked up one last meaningful conversation before calling it a day as the United States Atty. Gen.

“I certainly think it ought to be rescheduled.” – Eric Holder

Almost six months after Holder’s overdue epiphany, rumors and innuendo have had the DEA rescheduling it as early as August … then indefinitely delaying it, without explanation. While the DEA has made it abundantly clear they are “not bound by any date” when it comes to addressing the rescheduling of this long demonized plant, John Hudak, a Senior Fellow in Governance at the Brookings Institution drilled down on just what rescheduling cannabis could mean for all.

Testing, testing, 1,2,3… will the FDA require state medical marijuana products be approved? While the rescheduling of cannabis would open the door for “expanded pharmaceutical research” on isolated cannabinoids and their potential medicinal benefits – allowing for FDA-approved marijuana pharmaceuticals in the nation’s drug stores – marijuana sold in state-sanctioned dispensaries would be omitted from FDA approval. According to Hudak, the reason is simple, “Because they know such substances would never be approved.

Per Hudak, by establishing a “bifurcated system” for cannabis products “FDA-approved pharmaceuticals would be available in the nation’s drug stores and other cannabis products would be available in DOJ-approved dispensaries.”

Would rescheduling cannabis legalize it? No. It wouldn’t automatically legalize medical marijuana for doctors to prescribe. However, by reclassifying cannabis to a Schedule II narcotic or lower, that reclassification would kick open the scientific door allowing for more comprehensive research. With fewer obstacles in the way of conducting significant research on Schedule II substances, the rescheduling of cannabis would send an authoritative smoke signal to the fearful medical community, Hudak noted: “Rescheduling also puts administrative pressure on the DEA to relax the monopoly on cannabis available for research, another substantial obstacle. Opening the door to medical research would also be a powerful signal to the millions of Americans who use medical marijuana currently with little or no research-backed information.”

Will state sanctioned MMJ dispensaries be permitted? Yes. Leaning hard on public opinion, which currently supports medical marijuana to the tune of 80%, Hudak cited the fact that “public support creates a significant disincentive for this president or his successor to respond to rescheduling by shutting the whole thing down.”

As state after state scramble to establish new revenue sources, balance their budgets, and adjust for the new marijuana narrative, the continued groundswell of support for legalizing medical marijuana will ultimately force Obama’s predecessor down the same pathway to legalization.